Leaving
by Blackfishy
Summary: When two of Djaq's old friends arrive in Nottingham to take her home, what will she do? Will she be able to resist the chance to go home? Or will the love of a certain outlaw keep her in Sherwood? Will/Djaq


**Disclaimer - I do not own Robin Hood :)**

**Hey guys. As my PC has been playing up and I have not been able to update A Second Story of Emilia King, I wrote out this Will/Djaq drabble :D**

**Just general romancey oneshot for Will and Djaq. **

**Set during S2, before the finale... So Allan isn't with the gang in this fic.**

**Hope you enjoy.**

Leaving

Djaq sniffed again, a second tear falling to the earthy ground. She heaved the pack onto her back, and squared her shoulders.

This was the right thing to do. She knew that. Or she thought that she did.

Surely, surely returning to her roots, to the people with whom she had grown up was the right thing to do. To return to a country where someone with her skills was needed so desperately to help with the wounded.

But there were wounded here too. And people who needed her skills.

For the hundredth time, Djaq set down her bag, and sat slowly down on a log.

"Why is this so hard?" she asked herself, swallowing hard and blinking, "I have waited for the day when someone would come... someone from home... Why is it so hard?"

_'You love him'_

Djaq stood up again,her own mind having betrayed her, she felt a burning desire to prove her thoughts wrong

"I must go"

A crunch of leaves, and then a soft voice,

"You don't have to"

She faltered, not wanting to see him, the one that she had to leave behind

"You can do whatever you want to"

"I know" she bit back, trying to ease the pain by causing someone else to hurt... "I am sorry Will"

"It's alright..."

"I must go"

And she ran. Walking away from him as fast as she could, Djaq stumbled out of the clearing.

He could never know. If he knew, and he felt the same, she knew that she could never leave...

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Will walked slowly back to the camp another way, biting his bottom lip. How could she leave? After all they had been through, after all they had achieved... she was just leaving them. Leaving the forest, the poor, and England.

But it was her decision, he reminded himself, her life.

As he entered the camp, he sat down heavily on a pile of sacks. Putting his head in his hands, he tried to think about anything other than Djaq leaving...

But all that left him to think about, was Djaq when she wasn't leaving. Her warm brown eyes, soothing hands and words, her subtle yet definite femininity...

Dragging his hands through his hair, he glanced across the camp, and started when he noticed Robin, leaning on a beam, looking back at him.

"You really love her don't you?" Robin asked softly

Will nodded in a defeated manner,

"But there is nothing I can do... she is leaving"

Robin looked at Will for another quiet minute,

"Well then, if she is leaving, what is the harm in telling her?"

Will grunted, and knotted his hands further into his dark hair.

"You are afraid she does not return your feelings?" Robin asked carefully, tilting his head slightly

"Exactly" Will answered, avoiding his leader's gaze, feeling ashamed.

"Well," Robin continued "What if she does return your feelings... and she is waiting for you to tell her... what if the reason she is going is that she has given up...?"

Will looked at him, mouth half open,

"Robin... have you and Marian been talking about us? -"

Robin laughed and scratched his head,

"Well so what if we have?!"

Will blushed, but stood up, feeling slightly better than before

"Tell her" Robin said quietly

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Djaq stumbled down the earth bank, and put her bag carefully onto the cart. Smoothing the horse's mane, she looked around and saw the people with whom she would return to the Holy Land.

"Cahil, Bakhad" she nodded in greeting.

They smiled back at her, walking over to the small cart that she stood beside.

"Saffiyah" Cahil said warmly. The older of the two, Cahil was very tall and dark, his long beard and large moustache obscuring most of his face, although two kind eyes twinkled on either side of a hooked nose. Bakhad, his young son, was fourteen, about five years Djaq's junior. He had the hooked nose and kind eyes of his father, and his face was losing the childish roundness that it used to have, and was taking on a strong jaw, and thick eyebrows.

"They will be glad to see you Saffiyah" Bakhad said, sending her a half smile "Father says that everyone was so sad when you were taken away"

Djaq tried to smile back, but her eyes were so full of tears that she dared not even blink. She felt as though someone had grabbed her throat, and that she couldn't speak...

Cahil's smile faded as he saw how upset she looked,

"Surely you are happy to be returning?" he asked, "We do not wish to force you to leave this place"

"I... I am happy..." Djaq fought to find the right words in her head "but... but I... this has become my home..."

Bakhad's eyebrows shot upwards, but Cahil did not look surprised. Djaq continued,

"I would love to go back to Acre... back to where I come from, but here... here there is someone, someone I-" she gasped a breath, trying desperately to hold in the wracking sobs that were shaking her heart.

"Someone you love?" Cahil said softly, putting an arm around her shoulders. A smile crept onto his face, "Why did you not say so Saffiyah? You do not have to come back to Acre. If you have found the man who you belong with, and he is here, then do not leave him"

Djaq sent him a watery smile, "But I do not know if he... loves me"

"Well, if you love him" Cahil said, seriousness returning to his face "You must tell him... He may well feel the same way. Do not leave without even knowing what might have happened had you stayed..."

Djaq took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

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The sun was high in the sky as it reached midday. The gang walked through the forest, on their way to say goodbye to Djaq.

Will's heart was thumping wildly in his chest. He was so scared about what he had to do... His breathing quick, he focused on a picture of her face in his mind...

The other outlaws were subdued. They had all grown fond of Djaq... her quirky sense of humour, her remedies, her clever conversation...

Marian joined them as they crossed the North Road, and they continued into the forest. None of them speaking.

When they could make out the cart among the trees, the outlaws quickened their pace a little.

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Djaq saw them coming, and began to walk towards them. Her heart was pounding as she thought about Will, about what she had to tell him.

The outlaws were almost jogging now, Djaq's eyes locked with Will's as she too began to run.

When they met, Will and Djaq practically collided. Will put his hands on either side of her waist to prevent her from crashing into him, Djaq's hands rested on his upper arms.

They froze, staring at each other.

Robin, Much, John, Marian, Cahil, and Bakhad had now caught up with them, and they stood near Will and Djaq, not entirely sure what to do. Much opened his mouth to speak, but John silenced him with a glare, and a threatening twitch of his staff.

Will stared into Djaq's chocolate eyes. They were wet with tears, and his eyebrows knitted together as he realised that she must be upset...

"What's wrong?" he asked gently. He was amazed that no-one else seemed to be able to hear the insane beating of his heart, their faces were so close...

Djaq blinked slowly, and a crystal tear slid down her smooth cheek.

"I couldn't, I can't leave you..." she said, slowly, as if she couldn't believe that she had dared to say it.

Will's eyes flew wide open as she spoke, he thought his heart might actually burst out of him soon...

"I couldn't let you go" he said, his voice deep with emotion. To Djaq's surprise, she saw tears glistening in his eyes too...

She raised one hand to his face, her thumb running over his cheek. She felt his arms encircle her waist. His nose brushed against hers, and he spoke again,

"Are you going to go?" his voice cracked in the middle of the question, and his breath shuddered a little,

"I would never leave..." Djaq whispered back.

A huge smile broke out on Will's face,

"You're staying?!"

As Djaq nodded, blinking tears of happiness out of her eyes, Will hugged her and spun her around in a circle. The others, still standing around, grinned at each other. Cahil smiled broadly, as his mind was put at rest. She would be happy now.

Setting her down, Will laughed in relief as she ran her hands over his shoulders. She smiled up at him, her face light with happiness, and as Will realised that the reason she was smiling was him, he finally plucked up the courage to bend down and kiss her...

As soon as their lips met, Robin punched the air,

"Yes!"

Will and Djaq broke apart, surprised, and smiled at each other blissfully.

Marian grinned and leant against Robin, who, feeling spontaneous, bent and kissed her.

Much looked from one couple to the other and muttered to John,

"Have you got any idea what the camp will be like now...?"

John fought back a laugh at the look of irritation on Much's face.

"This," he said, "I like."

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It was twilight in the forest, and after a hearty meal, Cahil and Bakhad were leaving. As the outlaws waved them goodbye, Cahil called back,

"Take care of her, pale one" and sent them one of his jovial smiles.

Will nodded, a grin still plastered onto his face, his arm around Djaq, who waved happily.

"He will" she called after her old friend, looking up at Will, the handsome young outlaw who had stolen her heart.

They all watched the cart clatter off into the distance, and then started to walk back to the outlaws' camp.

Will and Djaq lagged behind a little, holding hands and talking quietly. After a short while, Will hugged her again. She smiled up at him, her soft black curls falling around her face prettily. He shook his dark hair out of his eyes, and captured her lips with his again, and she smiled into his mouth.

When they broke apart, panting slightly, she murmured into his ear,

"I love you Will Scarlett"

He leant back, and took in her smile and the love in her eyes. The love that he knew was mirrored in his own eyes.

He nuzzled her neck, then whispered back,

"I love you"

And as a warm summer breeze shivered through Sherwood, the sadness of the day was swept away, replaced with love, comfort, and total contentment on everyone's part... (Apart, of course, from Much, who still had to cook the dinner on his own, and be told it was squirrel).

Some things never change.

The End

**Good grief.**

**Random oneshot I know**

**But I really needed to write something :)**

**Hope you liked it**

**Please review**

**Blackfishy**

**xxxxx**


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